Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 6 July 1999 Submitted by Charlene Beatty Beauchamp cbodessa@classicnet.net Thanks to the Odessa American Online http://www.oaoa.com/ ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OA Online Obituaries. July 06, 1999 Permian Basin Obituaries _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA -- Darlene Byford, 77, of Denver City died Saturday, July 3, 1999, at Mabee Health Center in Midland. Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors' Chapel with the Rev. Dr. Bob Webb officiating. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Mrs. Byford was born April 2, 1921, in Duncan, Okla. She graduated summa cum laude from Odessa College. She married Louis Weldon Byford on Aug. 14, 1938, in Walters, Okla. Mrs. Byford was a registered nurse for 30 years and worked at Medical Center and Yokum County Hospital. She also worked as a home health nurse. She moved from Odessa to Denver City in 1971. She was a member of Eastern Star and the Hospital Auxiliary in Denver City. She was also a member of the American Nurses Association. She was preceded in death by her husband, Louis W. Bedford; her parents, Arthur and Spence Meazell; and two sisters, Amy Kidd and Helen Bethel. She is survived by two sons, Larry Michael Byford of Midland, and Jerry Wayne Byford of Odessa; one sister, Suzanne Brake of Arlington; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. _________________________________________________________________ Nina Faye Carlock LONGVIEW -- Funeral services for Nina Faye Carlock, 87, of Longview, will be at 4 p.m. today in the chapel of the Rader Funeral Home of Longview with the Rev. Dr. Elam officiating. Entombment will follow in Lakeview Mausoleum. Mrs. Carlock died Saturday evening at a local hospital. She was born June 9, 1912, in Haynesville, La., to Ruel and Cordie Curry. She had been an area resident since 1947 and was a homemaker. She had worked for Johnny Cace's Seafood and Steakhouse Restaurant. She was a member of the First Christian Church, Eastern Star, Longview Chapter No. 610, served as Worthy Matron 1983-1984 and again 1987-1988 and was a member of the Gardenia Garden Club. Mrs. Carlock was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, R.F. "Bob" Carlock, two sisters, Marie McDaniel and Irma Matheny and a brother, John M. Curry. She is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Jimmie and Gaylon Snider of White Oak, Betty Jo and Ferrell Bassett of Odessa; son and daughter-in-law, Charles and Nadine Reardon of Kilgore; a brother, James Curry of Granbury; sister-in-law, Susie Curry of Clinton, Miss.; 10 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; five great, great grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA -- Ray Harris, 89, passed away Friday, July 2, 1999, at Medical Center Hospital after a lengthy illness. Funeral services have been scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Frank Wilson Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Robert V. Scofield officiating. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Mr. Harris was born on Sept. 21, 1909, in Hollis, Okla. He moved to Odessa on Aug. 4, 1952, from Guymon, Okla. He married Audrey M. Cummings on Dec. 19, 1928, in Pauls Valley, Okla. They were married for more than 60 years when she passed in January of 1989. He married Ethel Garrett on Dec. 6, 1990, in New Mexico. Mr. Harris was a retired minister of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, Great Plains Conference. He attended Southwestern Bible College in Oklahoma City. He attended the Grandview Church of God. He was also the owner of Harris Trucking Company for many years and was active in the business until his retirement. He is survived by his wife, Ethel, of the home; three sons, Richard Harris and Donald Harris, both of Odessa, and Dan J. Harris of Houston; one daughter, Peggy Searcy of Odessa; one sister, Lovena Patton of Marana, Ariz.; two brothers, Everett Harris of San Jose, Calif., and Roy Harris of Miami, Okla.; six grandchildren, Michael Harris, Brenda Bentley, Susan Searcy, Shawn Harris, McKenzie Ray Harris and Katherine Grace Harris; five great-grandchildren, Adam Bentley, Joseph Bentley, Jennifer Harris, Collin Grant Harris and Bironhna Harris; seven step-children; four step-grandchildren; and five step-great-grandchildren. _________________________________________________________________ Helen Gober EARLY -- Helen England Gober, devoted wife, mother and grandmother, 82, of Abilene passed away Sunday at her home. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Davis-Morris Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in the Eastlawn Memorial Park. Mrs. Gober will lie in state at the Elliot-Hamil Funeral Home in Abilene until 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Then she will lie in state at Davis-Morris Funeral Home from 10 a.m. until service time. Family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at the Elliot-Hamil Funeral Home in Abilene. Helen England Gober was born June 29, 1917, in Brown County and was raised in Brownwood. On Oct. 15, 1932, at age 15, she became the bride and lifelong partner of Walter Gober. In the early years of their marriage, they moved to Odessa. Throughout their marriage, Helen balanced the roles of successful wife, mother and businesswoman -- a generation before her time. Side by side, they founded many business ventures, including Gober & Sons Inc. and Odessa Venetian Blind Co., which is still operated by a nephew. In addition to their business activities, Helen was an active member of First Baptist Church and various PTAs. Upon retirement, Helen and Walter moved to Lake Amstead and then to Lake Spence, where she was a member of the Pecan Baptist Church. Helen taught Sunday School and participated in missions activities. Both lake homes served as family gathering spots where loving, lifelong memories were made and shared through generations. Anyone who knew Helen will miss her, as there will never be another like her; devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Survivors include her husband, Walter Gober of Abilene; brother Jack England and wife, Ruth, of Gun Barrel City; sister-in-law, Ina Bell England of Del Rio; sister, Marjie Carter of Temple; half brother, Jimmy England of Georgia; half sister, Nancy Cotton of Cleburne; son, David Gober and his wife, Maggie, of Odessa; daughter, Anna Brazzel and her husband, Ray, of Abilene; daughter, Marjie Thornton and her husband, Ron, of Oklahoma City; grandchildren, Jana and Jubil Zimmerman, Dana and Andy Wilbarger, Rhonda Gail, Jack Gober, Tonya and Todd Tillman, Stephen and Julie Brazzel, Kim Brazzel, Leighana Thornton, Anthony and Raye Thornton, nine great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Frances and Thelma England, and a brother, Charles Frances "Bugs" England. Pallbearers will be Jack W. Gober, Anthony Thornton, Jubal Zimmerman, Todd Tillman, Dewitt England and Finley England. _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA -- Marjorie Whitefield died Sunday, July 4, 1999, at her home in Odessa. Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 7, 1999, in the Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Chapel with Lynn Money officiating. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. She was born in Clarksburg, W. Va. Her parents, the late Ray and Versa Somerville, moved to Odessa in 1936. After graduation from Odessa High School in 1938, she was employed with Southwestern Bell Telephone for 44 years, retiring in 1982. She married Doyle Whitefield in 1952. She was preceded in death by her husband and her sister, Edna Louise. Marjorie is survived by her brother, Ray T. Somerville; uncles, Harold Kelley of Snyder and G.L. Kelley of Olney, Ill.; several cousins and many beloved friends. Memorials can be made to the American Cancer Society of Odessa. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 1999 Odessa American. All rights reserved.